Selway Complex FiresSeptember 15, 2014 Contact: Public Affairs Officer: Tod McKayPhone: 406-363-7122 / Cell: 406-531-1130What: Wildland Fires Detected: August 10 - Lightning causedLocation: Selway Bitterroot Wilderness in Idaho – approx. 30 miles SW of Darby Narrative: Two lightning-caused fires that have been burning for more than a month in the remote Selway Bitterroot wilderness in Idaho, grew in size this weekend as warmer temperatures contributed to active fire behavior. The Elevator Mountain fire located 7 miles north of Paradise Campground is estimated at 2,239 acres. It merged over the weekend with the Eagle Rock fire burning on the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest in Idaho. The Raven Creek Fire located near Raven Creek Campground grew to 183 acres. It jumped the Paradise Road at 3 locations and is now burning on both sides of the road and just east of the Selway River. Paradise Road is currently open, but may be closed on an intermittent basis due to fire activity. For road information contact the West Fork Ranger District at (406) 821-3269. There are six fires in the Selway Complex, but four of them (Eagle Creek, Nick Wynn, Jerusalem, Vance Mountain) are small (10 acres or less) and have not been as active. All of the fires are being managed with a monitoring strategy with point protection of critical resources including campgrounds, fire lookouts, trailheads and trail bridges. Current Size (Complex): Estimated 2,432 acres Containment: 0%Resources on Fire: Roughly 25 personnel are working on the fires including 3 engines, and 1 helicopter. Terrain: Steep, remote, and rocky Fire Activity: The fires are burning in timber, brush and grass Closures: Due to increased fire activity, the following wilderness campgrounds are currently closed -- Beaver Point, Raven Creek, Indian Creek. The public is being asked to not park or camp along Paradise Road between Beaver Point and Indian Creek. Fire information signs and maps have been posted at nearby trailheads and forest sites. Today’s Plan: Fire crews are wrapping the historic Gardiner Peak Lookout withfire resistant structure wrap. Structure protection plans are also being implemented at Shearer Air Strip on the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest. Engines are patrolling Paradise Road for rocks, snags, and spot fires. An IR flight is scheduled tonight for updated acreage estimates.Inciweb: For the latest fire information and maps visit http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4109/

Moscow- Wilderness Watch and Friends of the Clearwater have filed a 60-day Notice of Intent (NOI) to sue the US Forest Service and the US Fish & Wildlife Service over the potential impacts to imperiled bull trout and other rare species from the planned expansion of the Fish Lake Airstrip in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness of the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests. Bull trout are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Canada lynx, also listed under the Endangered Species Act, are found in the project area.

Fish Lake contains the only knownadfluvial population of bull trout in the Lochsa drainage and according to scientists, is threatened with extinction.Adfluvial fish live in lakes and migrate into rivers or streams to spawn. Fish Lake is also one of a small number of lakes in western U.S. Wildernesses that naturally harbored fish, making it one of the most unique bodies of water in the northern Rockies.

According to a recent scoping letter by the Forest Service, the agency intends on expanding the current airstrip at Fish Lake from 2745 feet to 3100 feet.

“Biologists with the US Fish & Wildlife Service have stated in the past that habitat degradation and increased fishing access to the lake from the existing airstrip already poses a significant threat to the small population,” said Gary Macfarlane with Friends of the Clearwater. “It makes no sense to go ahead and expand the airstrip and threaten the species further.”

“As required by law, the Forest Service is supposed to identify and study the potential impacts to threatened or endangered species that may be potentially effected within the project area,” continued Macfarlane. “Instead of preparing a Biological Assessment, the agency indicated that the project is going to fall under a Categorical Exclusion, meaning no potential impacts would be studied.”

The groups are equally concerned with impacts to the area’s wilderness character.

“Protecting this unique, rare aquatic system in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness is more important than trying to facilitate more aircraft use,” said George Nickas with Wilderness Watch. “The Forest Service needs to do an adequate analysis and ensure the Wilderness is protected before this project moves forward.

Grangeville, Idaho (June 11, 2014) – Over 75 partners and volunteers joined the Forest Service to celebrate the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness 50th Birthday and National Trails Day event on June 6 and 7. The celebration was held at the Wilderness Gateway Campground, one of the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest’s premier campgrounds, located at milepost 122.5 along the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway and All American Road (US Highway 12).

The Bitterroot Mountains form a rugged, glacier-carved border between Idaho and Montana. On both sides of this border is the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness (SBW), the third largest Wilderness in the Lower 48. The SBW was one of the first Wildernesses established September 3, 1964, the same date the Wilderness Act was passed. It now has a total of 1,340,587 acres.

Friday’s event was kicked off by a welcome from Rick Brazell, Forest Supervisor for the Nez Perce-Clearwater Forests. He shared his first wilderness experience as awe-inspiring as he saw his first bull elk, a sight he will never forget – he stated, “They don’t have elk in Texas, where I was born and raised.” Rick also said that another great experience was leading and mentoring a group of 12 Boy Scouts through the SBW.

Katie Knotek, Wilderness and Trails Manager for the Lochsa-Powell Ranger District, next introduced Forest Service employees and members of the North Central Idaho Back Country Horsemen (BCH), Montana Conservation Corps (MCC), and Selway-Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation (SBFC). She also thanked all the folks who coordinated on the logistics of the event.

A delicious prime rib BBQ dinner with all the fixings was provided by the Forest Service and catered by Scott and Judy Scribner of Grangeville. During dinner, I interviewed Roger Inghram, long-time BCH member. Roger said, “Steve Didier and Don McPherson started the North Central Idaho BCH Chapter in 1987 and their first project was the Boulder Creek Trail.” He said the chapter was originally formed by people riding the trails in the back country who had the desire to maintain those trails so that the privilege of using them would perpetuate through the years. Roger shared that their chapter has 120-130 members and they encourage new younger folks who have the desire to join.

The keynote speaker for the evening was Dale Bosworth, former Chief of the Forest Service. Dale congratulated the volunteers and partners who dedicate their time to the wilderness. He said that Forest Service folks, partners and volunteers should feel good about the wilderness challenge and the results from their work accomplished.

Dale was attending the University of Idaho when the Wilderness Act was passed in 1964 and his father was employed by the Forest Service. He said, “At that time, many people weren’t supportive of the Act, as it was too restrictive.”

Dale’s Forest Service career started in 1966 when he went to work on the Colville Forest, which had no wilderness. When he was 32 years old, he was hired as the District Ranger for the Powell Ranger District on the Clearwater Forest. He was advised by his supervisor to go to Tom Kovalicky to learn about wilderness management. Dale learned some good lessons from Tom.

His first trips into the SBW opened his eyes as there was trash, #9 wire and various debris littered everywhere. He pulled together trail crews to pick up tons of garbage with the aid of a ten-mule packstring.

As a side note, Dale said that the Wilderness Fire Management Plan was developed on the Clearwater Forest. In the plan, wilderness fires were allowed to burn to restore the ecosystem to its natural state.

“We had to leave Powell as my daughter attended the one-room schoolhouse there and classes were taught up to the 8thgrade. So we moved to further her education.” Next they went to the Flathead Forest where he experienced the Bob Marshall and Spotted Bear Wilderness areas.

He spent some time as the Deputy Regional Forester in San Francisco and explored the Ansel Adams Wilderness while there. Dale then went to Washington, DC as Deputy Director in timber management. He continued his interest and passion for wilderness while in the timber position.

During his term as Chief of the Forest Service, Dale initiated the Chief’s 10-Year Challenge which emphasized improving wilderness area conditions. Funding came off the top of the Forest Service budget ($9 million) to bring them up to standard.

Dale retired in 2007 and does volunteer work for the Forest Service International Program teaching conservation education. He has traveled to 35 countries including Morocco, Lebanon, Nigeria, Beirut, to name a few. “It gives these countries hope, “He added.

A panel of BCH, MCC and SBFC members shared some of their wilderness stories and accomplishments.

Steve Didier (BCH) said they work in all areas of the back country. He’s personally packed tons of garbage off the Lochsa. Jim Renshaw and family members support the smokejumper effort every year. Didier encouraged the use of draft stock in trail work as it is very cost effective.

Eric Melson (SBFC) said their group was formed in 2005 at the request of the Forest Service. Connie Saylor Johnson was one of the first originators. They packed 40,000 pounds of trash out of the Seminole Ranch. Eric added, “The value of volunteer labor is around $3 million and we have more ambitious projects planned for this season!”

Jess Harrell (MCC) said they have been established for over 20 years and have been partners with the Nez Perce-Clearwater Forests for 10 years. Their first experience was the Selway #4 Trail in Moose Creek.

Panel members were recognized for their many contributions to the preservation of wilderness and awarded wilderness trail signs.

“Untrammeled”- the new film about youth in wilderness produced by Region 1, BCH, and several other partners, topped off the memorable evening.

A parting message from Bosworth sums it up, “The future of wilderness management will continue to be a large part of our work – we need to encourage young people to understand and care about it. Forest Service budgets are low and aren’t predicted to improve. We need all of the volunteers and partners to help us get the work done.”

Contact: Public Information Officers: Bob MacGregor, Glenda ScottPhone: 406-349-0163What:Gold Pan Complex (Gold Pan, Nez Peak, Thirteen, and Goat Fires)Cause: LightningLocation: 35 miles SW of Darby, MT. in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness in Idaho. Jurisdiction: Bitterroot National Forest – West Fork Ranger DistrictSize: 27,034 acres. The Bitterroot National Forest has expanded the Closure Area around the fire to include the following areas: Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Areas and Selway Bitterroot Wilderness (North and South) of Magruder Road Corridor and south of Tough Creek Road and south of Barecone Lookout back to Salmon Mountain Lookout. The road block on the east end of Magruder Road has been moved from Fales Flat to the Krueger Ranch (approximately 3 miles west of the intersection with the West Fork Road), the road closure remains at Observation Point on the west end. Look on Inciweb for an updated Forest Closure Map.Things were much quieter on the Gold Pan Complex on Saturday. After the large fire spread on Friday managers were concerned that forecasted similar weather conditions would spur another push. However the inversion hung in until the late afternoon on Saturday, trapping smoke from fires on the Nez Perce National Forest close to the ground and shading the fuels on the Gold Pan Complex inhibiting fire expansion. Lighter than forecasted winds also contributed to decreased fire behavior. Quieter conditions allowed firefighters to assess the movement of the Gold Pan fire from Friday; on the east side it has reached the western edge of the Lazy Creek drainage about a mile east of the Hells Half Acre Road. The fire has also moved along the slope north of Magruder Road near the old CCC Camp. North of Kim Creek Saddle the fire has moved north up the East Fork Creek drainage. Fire behavior was limited to occasional single tree torching and surface fire on Saturday. Crews continued working on keeping the Magruder Road open for fire traffic (it remains closed to the public) and looking for opportunities for direct action.The Nez Peak fire was also quiet on Saturday; it has remained on the high ridge to the north and east of Nez Perce Peak. The fire is about one mile to the west of the Idaho/Montana border. This fire has been slowed by concentrated helicopter water drops but helicopter work was limited on Saturday due to the smoky conditions. An infra-red heat detection flight on early Saturdaymorning showed this fire to be at 208 acres. The Goat and Thirteen fires, the other two fires in this complex, remained at 14 and 1 acre respectively. Both of these fires are surrounded by the old fire scar of the 2012 Mustang fire and open rocky slopes that will limit their future growth. Their movements are being tracked by aerial monitoring.Crews continued to work on the contingency lines well to the east of the fire. They are assessing roads for access, looking for water sources, placing pumps, laying hoses and getting familiar with the local topography. Residents should expect to see fire crews and engines in their neighborhoods, this work is important to being prepared if the fire does come out of the Wilderness into the front country. Structure protection personnel worked with local landowners to implement FireWise procedures. We encourage local landowners to take action to protect their property by following the FireWise guidelines contained in the link at the end of this Update.A helicopter attached to the Gold Pan Complex assisted Bitterroot Forest personnel on an initial attack near Watchtower Lake. A hot-shot crew will be loaned to the initial attack effort today to try and insure that this small fire gets no bigger. This type of cooperation makes firefighting efforts much more successful.Today’s weather should result in continued limited fire behavior. The inversion will not break until late in the afternoon creating smoky conditions for valley residents but reducing fire spread. Temperatures will be in the 80s and humidity in the teens. Light terrain driven winds (upslope and upvalley) will not favor large fire expansion. Long-term forecasts are projecting chances for precipitation on Wednesday or Thursday which would be a boon to firefighting efforts.Doug Turman’s Northern Rockies Type 1 Management Team will be shadowing Hutton’s Team today and will assume command of the Complex at 6 am on Monday.Closures: An emergency closure order is in place for all Forest Service roads and trails within and surrounding the fire. View the closure order/map athttp://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3538/. There is also a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) over the fire. For the latest fire information/photos go to: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3538/Stay in touch with the Bitterroot National Forest through www.facebook.com/DiscoverTheBitterroot and www.twitter.com/BitterrootNF. Email Goldpan13@gmail.com to receive this information electronically. For information about preparing for potential evacuations see: http://rc.mt.gov/content/sheriff/documents/EmergencyEvacuation and www.Redcross.org/safeandwell . For instructions on making defensible space around your home see: http://www.firewise.org/

Contributed by Shawna Hartman, Type 2 PIOMany times fire managers will say they are managing fires for resource objectives. What does managing fire for resource objectives really mean? Where are Resource Objective Fires used? What are the benefits or impacts?Managing a fire for resource objectives does not happen everywhere on the forest. Wilderness areas are a good example of where fires will be managed differently also known as managing for resource objectives. The resource is the forest as a whole including the wildlife habitat. The objective is to bring back the historic stand structure that a natural forest would retain. The Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest has portions of 4 wilderness areas; together they constitute the largest contiguous area of wild country outside of Alaska. Management in these areas on all aspects is different from managing the other forested lands.When people think of managing a fire they think of crews, engines, air planes, helicopters, and overhead supporting a full suppression effort. Managing fires for resource objectives is a little different. It is still managed; however it is not necessarily managed on the ground. The fire is monitored from the air; landmarks, fire breaks, the fuels, topography and weather are identified. This data is imputed into computer based modeling program, allowing fire officials to analyze several different fire scenarios. From these scenarios a plan is developed anticipating how large and in what direction the fire will burn. At that point, fire managers look for assets within the parameters. Assets might be trails, cabins, or air strips. Management action points are set, highlighting where action will be taken if the fire nears the wilderness boundary or any of these assets. Action might be air support, crews setting up sprinklers or removing fuels to slow the fire’s progression. Patrol flights continue to monitor and report on the fires as well as infrared mapping flights which show fire managers the spots of heat and the real perimeter of the fire. When any new intelligence is received, new computer models are run and the previous plan is revised.Fire managers have been actively managing fire for resource objectives on the Nez Perce-Clearwater NFs for nearly 40 years. Fire is a tool that can help forest managers maintain the natural aspect of the forest. The forest in its natural stand structure is very mosaic. There might be some stands of large old shade tolerant trees, but there are many open meadows and stands of mixed species and mixed heights. “The wilderness areas are on a large scale very diverse, not typical of what we see in the managed forest outside the wilderness” states Doug Graves Assistant Fire Management Officer for the Moose Creek Ranger District. Wildfires burn in much the same way, a mosaic pattern, less than 20% of a wildfire will be stand replacing. Stand replacement; meaning everything in the path of the fire is gone. Many times fires burn on the ground or the understory. Presently, in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness there are 3 fires being managed for resource objective; California Point, Bailey, and Moose. Smoke from these fires may be seen from town and recreation access might be limited. However, in contrast these fires create diversity that only fires that burn for weeks unimpeded and closely monitored can create.Forest across much of the west are fire dependent ecosystems where fire disturbance can reduce woody debris buildup, reduce tree species competition by thinning, maintains open spaces that are important for wildlife, and encourage new growth of browse for elk and deer populations. The Forest together with other cooperators are working on a project that uses mechanical means and prescribed fire to mimic this ecosystem created by wildfire. This partnership is called the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project or CFLRP. The CFLRP expectation is to bring back the historic forest stand structure to the Northern Idaho forests, similar to that of the wilderness due in part by managing fires for resource objective.

Grangeville, ID – Fire Officials are assessing their options on a lightning fire start holdover in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness below California Lake. The California Point fire was detected late this afternoon burning in beetle kill pine. Due to the location of the fire and fuels burning folks in Grangeville, ID will be able to see the drifting smoke and smoke will likely settle in the Bitterroot valley, possibly drifting to Missoula, MT. As of 4:00pm this afternoon, 8 smoke jumpers were working on the fire.

Grangeville, ID –A few new starts were reported today on the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests. Red River District picked up 1 new fire – Townsite Fire – located up Newsome Creek. It is 1/10 acre and is staffed with 2 firefighters. Moose Creek District has two new fires – Glover and East Glover fires located on Glover Creek, north of the Selway River – both at 1/10 acre and staffed with smokejumpers and local initial attack firefighters. The Falls Point Fire – located across the river from Selway Falls is ¼ acre and staffed. The Bailey Fire is 20 acres and burning in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness on the Moose Creek Ranger District. The area is remote with some trails close to the fire area. The immediate area where the fire is burning has not had past large fire activity. There is a very low probability that either Moose Creek Ranger Station or the Elk Summit area will be impacted by the fire because both locations had extensive fire activity between them and this fire in 2012. This fire lies within the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness that allows wildfire to meet resource benefit objectives through the Land & Resource Management Plans for the Nez Perce and Bitterroot National Forests and the Bitterroot and Clear/Nez Fire Management Plans. The Rough Creek Fire located six miles east of Riggins is holding at 2600 acres and is 80% contained. The fire is in demobilization stage and management of the fire will be assigned to the Salmon River District Fridayafternoon. A closure area order remains in effect east and north of Riggins. County Road 1614 (Salmon River Road) and Grangeville-Salmon Road #221 remain open. Travelers are asked to use caution on Salmon River Road 1614 and watch out for heavy fire traffic. For a full description and map of the closure area, go to Inciweb at: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/.While still in the early stages of the 2013 Fire Season, Fire Management Officer Bob Lippincott said,“We anticipate a lot of activity soon and the Clear/Nez Fire Zone is geared up and ready for initial attack with numerous resources available (smokejumpers, helicopters, and engines).” There are currently no restrictions on the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests. However, as the forest fuels continue to dry out, fire staff are strategizing on when the first stages of restrictions will take place. With that in mind, the Forest Service would like to remind the public to be especially careful with campfires. Even a small breeze can fan the flames of an unattended campfire. Before you leave the area, drown your fire and stir to make sure the embers are COLD. Please keep these fire safety tips in mind: • Build small and contained campfires.• Never leave fire unattended. Make sure it is DEAD OUT before leaving.• State law requires having a bucket and shovel handy when lighting a campfire.• All types of equipment and vehicles are required to have spark arresters. This includes; chainsaws, portable generators, cross-country vehicles, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles and farm equipment.• Where smoking is permitted, have a 3-foot clearing around the smoker and fully extinguish cigarette or cigars prior to disposal in an appropriate container.Anyone found negligent of starting a wildfire can be held financially responsible for damages and suppression costs. We appreciate your cooperation in assisting us with these fire prevention efforts!

The Storied Wilderness: The Human History of a Wild PlaceGrangeville, ID---Professors Debbie Lee and Dennis Baird will make a presentation Monday, March 25 at 6:30 PM at the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests office in Grangeville about the human history of the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. The public is invited to attend this unique opportunity to learn about the wilderness and its people.In 2010, Debbie Lee and Dennis Baird received a National Endowment for the Humanities Collaborative Research Grant to create an archive of historical documents, photos, and oral histories chronicling the human history of one of the wildest places in the lower 48 states—the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness of Idaho and Montana. In addition to the archive and oral histories, Lee is writing a creative nonfiction book about the region, weaving her own travels into the larger history of the place.As their grant comes to an end, Lee and Baird reveal the history of this 1.3 million acre landscape that was among the first places granted wilderness designation with the Wilderness Act in 1964. Originally home to the Nimiipuu and Salish Indians, the Selway-Bitterroot has been fiercely protected by preservationists throughout the centuries. In the 1930s Bob Marshall, founder of the Wilderness Society, invested so much energy into protecting the area that it was originally supposed to bear his name.Baird will show treasures from the new archive (such as Gifford Pinchot's diary in which he talks to his dead fiancé while trekking through the wilderness) and Lee will read a short excerpt from her book.Dennis Baird is Professor Emeritus at the University of Idaho, where he worked as a reference librarian and taught Forest History. He is founder of the Wilderness Archive at the U of I library, and author of four books addressing collections of Nez Perce Indian and conservation history. Professor Baird was a founding member of the River of No Return Wilderness Council, an organization whose work resulted in designation of the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. He also headed efforts leading to establishment of the Gospel-Hump Wilderness.Debbie Lee is Professor of English at Washington State University, and has a background in British romantic literature and ecocriticism. She is currently writing a book about the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness called “Bitter Roots: Memoir of a Wilderness.” Professor Lee is also co-editing a collection of essays examining the relationship between oral history and public lands. The collection, titled “Personal Stories/Public Lands,” includes essays from historians, geographers, journalists, women’s studies scholars, digital humanities scholars, as well as land managers from the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service.For more information contact Cindy Schacher, Archaeologist, at (208) 983-7012.

Moe Fire October 2, 2012 1:00 PMContact: Public Affairs Officer: Tod McKayPhone: 406-363-7122Cell: 406-531-1130What: Wildland Fire Cause: LightningLocation: 15 miles west of Darby, MT. - Bitterroot National ForestJurisdiction: Nez Perce & Bitterroot National Forests Current size: 2,500 acres (320 acres on Bitterroot NF)Containment: 0%Summary: The lightning-caused Moe Fire which began several weeks ago on the Nez Perce National Forest in Idaho has now burned onto the Bitterroot National Forest in Montana. The fire began in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness in very remote, rugged, and steep terrain. The fire is currently located 10 miles west of Lake Como on the Darby Ranger District. It is burning in timber with some dead standing/beetle killed timber between Grizzly & Elk Lake. There are no threats to structures or property but as a result of fire activity, the Bitterroot National Forest is closing the Rock Creek Trail on the Darby Ranger District.Closures: Rock Creek trail #580 into the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness is currently closed just west of Lake Como. Signs have been posted at trail locations to advise the public of the closure and fire activity in the area. The Lake Como Loop Trail #502 remains open. Terrain: Extremely steep, remote, rocky terrain near the boundary of the Bitterroot and Nez Perce National Forests in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness.Fire Behavior: Smoldering, creeping, active ground fire with some isolated torching.Today’s Plan: Monitor the fire activity daily by lookout and air patrol. Special Concerns: A significant change from our recent dry and warm temperatures will occur Tuesday and Wednesday as a cold front moves into the area. Winds will increase this afternoon and evening particularly at higher elevations with gusts to 30mph at the top of the fire. This will result in increased fire activity and smoke may be visible this afternoon and evening west of Lake Como. Winds will diminish through the night with a chance of rain showers on Wednesday. For more information and to see aerial fire photos visit www.inciweb.org.

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The Salmon River Mountain Press shares news from federal and state natural resource agencies, environmental, conservation and recreation groups in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. The blog delivers the content one news story at a time.